UMPC and Origami - What is Microsoft Origami ?

UMPC Origami by Microsoft. What is Microsoft ' s new product code named Origami ? Will the Origami UMPC by Microsoft benefit you?
Daily articles and discussions on this marketing phenomenon code named Origami by Microsoft

Friday, May 05, 2006

Via Details Ultra Mobile PC

Via Technologies, headquartered in Taiwan, has released details of its new Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). The UMPC device is based on the "Origami" platform recently developed by Microsoft.

It's a small and lightweight product which combines the functions of PDA and PC with advanced connectivity features. The new PC will also consume less power with long battery life and has a sleek design.

First demonstrated in March at CeBIT in Hannover, the ultra mobile PC is expected to be launched in India by mid-2006 and will be priced at Rs 45,000 approximately.

Richard Brown, vice president - corporate marketing, Via Technologies said that as consumers lead increasingly mobile lifestyles, they are demanding a new generation of lightweight ultra compact devices that will not only give them easier access to digital content such as music and movies but will also allow them to carry out a full range of computing tasks.

Brown explained that targeted at the executive business class, the UMPC is being marketed more as a fashion statement rather than a computing device. The company expects the new device to attract over 10 million users by 2011, and is working on customizing UMPC as per the requirements of the Indian market.

The UMPC is location adaptable i.e. on the basis of location and environment the information and services provided will differ from user to user depending on wherever he/she might be sitting.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Samsung Q1 Has Load of Annoyances

Looking for a great PC that runs a fully fledged version of Windows XP but weighs less than two pounds? Well, it's here _ at least if you can live without the "great" part.

The Samsung Q1 is one of the first computers made to Microsoft Corp.'s Ultra-Mobile PC specification, which was formerly known as the company's Project Origami.

It's a tablet-style computer, about the size of a trade paperback and at 1.7 pounds, only slightly heavier. It has a 7-inch screen with a few buttons around it, but no keyboard or mouse. If the Q1 were red, you'd think "Etch A Sketch" when you saw it.

The main way of communicating with the UMPC is by touching the screen, either with your fingers or an included stylus. It's the first time Microsoft has made a push for touch screens outside of its cell-phone and personal-digital-assistant software.

The concept is similar to the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which launched in 2002, but Microsoft has encouraged tablet manufacturers to use screens that don't respond to touch, only to special battery-powered styluses.

Also, Tablet PCs are usually the size and shape of laptops, with built-in keyboards. The UMPC is a more stripped-down device, limited in its uses and easier to carry around.

The Q1 lists for $1,100. Some have complained about that price, but I think it's mostly a matter of disappointed expectations _ Microsoft had said the UMPCs would cost between $500 and $1,000. The other manufacturer in the first wave of UMPCs, TabletKiosk, is shipping a "limited" production run of its own device for $900, and is expecting more inventory in a month or so. Asus is also bringing out a UMPC.

The Q1 is still cheaper than Tablet PCs, which start at $1,500. Laptops that weigh 2 to 3 pounds usually cost $2,000. The OQO, an even smaller computer that weighs less than a pound, costs $2,100 in its tablet version, and its 5-inch screen is pretty squint-worthy.

The Q1 has a 900-megahertz Intel Celeron processor and a 40 gigabyte hard drive, all sufficient for its likely uses. It doesn't have an optical drive, so you may not be able to install all the software you need unless you get Samsung's optional drive.

So who needs a UMPC? Well, Samsung sees students and salespeople as the early adopters. I think they're wrong.

Students need something they can write and play games on, and the UMPC isn't it. You can write on it with the stylus, and the software does a great job of recognizing what you write, but it gets tiresome.

You can also call up an on-screen keyboard for thumb-typing while holding the device, but it really doesn't work well. It obscures too much of the screen and it doesn't work when you hold the screen vertically because the "keys" overlap. Thirdly, the power cable connects exactly where you need to hold your right hand for thumb-typing.

Looking for a great PC that runs a fully fledged version of Windows XP but weighs less than two pounds? Well, it's here _ at least if you can live without the "great" part.

The Samsung Q1 is one of the first computers made to Microsoft Corp.'s Ultra-Mobile PC specification, which was formerly known as the company's Project Origami.

It's a tablet-style computer, about the size of a trade paperback and at 1.7 pounds, only slightly heavier. It has a 7-inch screen with a few buttons around it, but no keyboard or mouse. If the Q1 were red, you'd think "Etch A Sketch" when you saw it.

The main way of communicating with the UMPC is by touching the screen, either with your fingers or an included stylus. It's the first time Microsoft has made a push for touch screens outside of its cell-phone and personal-digital-assistant software.

The concept is similar to the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which launched in 2002, but Microsoft has encouraged tablet manufacturers to use screens that don't respond to touch, only to special battery-powered styluses.

Also, Tablet PCs are usually the size and shape of laptops, with built-in keyboards. The UMPC is a more stripped-down device, limited in its uses and easier to carry around.

The Q1 lists for $1,100. Some have complained about that price, but I think it's mostly a matter of disappointed expectations _ Microsoft had said the UMPCs would cost between $500 and $1,000. The other manufacturer in the first wave of UMPCs, TabletKiosk, is shipping a "limited" production run of its own device for $900, and is expecting more inventory in a month or so. Asus is also bringing out a UMPC.

The Q1 is still cheaper than Tablet PCs, which start at $1,500. Laptops that weigh 2 to 3 pounds usually cost $2,000. The OQO, an even smaller computer that weighs less than a pound, costs $2,100 in its tablet version, and its 5-inch screen is pretty squint-worthy.

The Q1 has a 900-megahertz Intel Celeron processor and a 40 gigabyte hard drive, all sufficient for its likely uses. It doesn't have an optical drive, so you may not be able to install all the software you need unless you get Samsung's optional drive.

So who needs a UMPC? Well, Samsung sees students and salespeople as the early adopters. I think they're wrong.

Students need something they can write and play games on, and the UMPC isn't it. You can write on it with the stylus, and the software does a great job of recognizing what you write, but it gets tiresome.

You can also call up an on-screen keyboard for thumb-typing while holding the device, but it really doesn't work well. It obscures too much of the screen and it doesn't work when you hold the screen vertically because the "keys" overlap. Thirdly, the power cable connects exactly where you need to hold your right hand for thumb-typing.

From the Washington post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/03/AR2006050302059.html

TabletKiosk Begins Shipping New UMPC Device

TabletKiosk, a leader in mobile PC computing solutions, today announced it has begun shipping eo ™, the new Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) which is the first UMPC device available in the US market.

Powered by the 1.0GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor , a new ULV processor that provides longer battery life than traditional LV processors, eo ™ was designed for ultimate productivity and convenience.

“TabletKiosk is to be congratulated for leading the way in the US market for this new category of device. eo ™ brings together the best aspects of the Tablet PC with ultra mobility, enhanced multimedia capabilities, and a full connectivity suite,” commented Epan Wu, Deputy Director, CPU Product Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Integrating the VIA UMPC platform, eo ™ takes full advantage of the VIA C7-M ULV processor’s ultra low-power operation for longer battery life, while still maintaining robust performance for a full range of mobile applications.”

eo ™ comes equipped with Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Tablet PC Edition as well as with the new Microsoft ® Touch Pak. Standout features of Touch Pack include the easy-to-use Program Launcher and Dial Keys, which enable the user to input text directly on-screen with their thumbs.

We’re very excited to see the first Ultra-Mobile PCs become publicly available for consumers,” said Otto Berkes, general manager of the Ultra-Mobile PC team at Microsoft Corp. “The eo is a marriage of great hardware and powerful new software such as Microsoft Touch Pack that presents a new and exciting way for consumers to stay connected wherever they go.”

With USB 2.0, wireless networking, Bluetooth connectivity, enhanced touch screen capabilities and voice recognition, eo ™ was developed to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s highly mobile population. Smaller than a typical day planner, eo ™ fits easily into a backpack, handbag or briefcase and represents the new generation of mobile computing.

Pricing and Availability

eo ™ is sold through the TabletKiosk ™ website www.tabletkiosk.com, as well as a vertically integrated reseller network. Due to overwhelming response after the launch announcement, the initial shipment of eo ™ is entirely sold out. TabletKiosk is currently accepting orders for the second production run which is scheduled to ship at the end of May / beginning of June 2006.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Q1 to go on sale May 7th for $1,100

At a San Francisco press briefing and product demonstration that hopefully went better than its disastrous Korean counterpart last month, executives from Samsung, Microsoft, and Intel jointly announced pricing and availability details for the official U.S. release of the Q1 UMPC. Starting on May 7th, early-adopters will be able to pick up a Q1 -- along with all the high-profit-margin accessories -- at Best Buy's e-tail location for $1,100, with an in-store rollout planned for "later this summer." As you're probably already aware, the Q1, along with models from Asus, Founder, and TabletKiosk, is among the first generation of so-called Ultra Mobile PCs designed to enhance your on-the-go lifestyle, and sports a 7-inch touchscreen, Celeron M ULV processor, 40GB hard drive, 512MB RAM, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0.

Samsung's Q1 UMPC not a processing powerhouse

Samsung chose Intel's Ultra-Low Voltage Celeron M processor for its new Q1 minitablet PC unveiled Monday, in what has to be one of the least powerful chips in Intel's current lineup.

The Celeron M 353 runs at 900MHz, and comes with 512K bytes of Level 2 cache. Even though we're all aware that there's more to performance than clock speed, it still counts for something, and the 353 is slower than any current chip on Intel's pricing page, not counting the XScale handheld chips. In fact, the 353 doesn't even appear on that list of current products, which isn't unusual but signals that Intel has moved forward with more powerful products.

Samsung missed out on getting the new Ultra-Low Voltage Core Solo processor into the Q1, which would be far more powerful than the Celeron M. In the showdown of the ultra-low voltage chips, the Celeron M has a slight advantage in power consumption, 5 watts at maximum power consumption to the Core Solo's 5.5 watts, and a pronounced advantage in price. The specific price of the Celeron M 353 wasn't available, since it's slipped off the chart, but it's equal to or less than the $144 Intel charges for the Celeron M 373 in quantities of 1,000 units, and far less than the $262 required for the Core Solo UV1400.

Most users probably aren't going to be editing videos or doing other processor-intensive tasks on their Q1 minitablets, said David Nichols, director of display marketing for Samsung's information technology division. But the Celeron M will still have enough juice to run Windows Vista when that arrives next year, he said.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Samsung Q1 Review

From Engadget

We know we've been giving the UMPC -- specifically the Q1 -- a lot of face time, but we have to admit, even though we're unimpressed with the first generation of these devices both in capabilities and having played around with 'em, we're still interested. And to our surprise an English site called Personal Computer World not only got and reviewed a Q1, but gave it some very high marks, citing its quiet fan, sleek form factor, and bright, clear display as high points for the device. In fact, they only knocked on it for having a "standard" battery life (huh? 2.5 hours is now standard?), smallish drive, and, of course, sucky Celeron-powered under-performance. Will all those 4/5-star ratings they laid down be enough to get users to plunk down £799 (about $1450 US) for one of their own? We don't know, but we didn't exactly find it encouraging that Samsung told PCW only "hundreds" had been pre-ordered.

Samsung Q1 UMPC Review

My exact concern again. Who is this product truly for. If they kind target this product, no one will but it. Here's the review:

All that remains is to figure out who should buy the Samsung Q1.

The corporate market will delight in being able to carry around a full Windows PC weighing well under 1kg, while home users will see potential in terms of it being a portable media player.

But when you consider the Archos AV700 (which has a similar 7in screen and 40GB hard drive) is available for under £400 and features far better PVR-style functionality, buying the Q1, or any other UMPC, purely as a portable media player suddenly looks less appealing.

Despite spending plenty of time with the Q1, we’re still struggling to work out what sort of user it would suit best.

We’ve pretty much discounted it as a rival to current portable media players and business users may well want to stick with their ultra-portable notebook - there’s no getting round the fact that a built-in keyboard is the easiest way to input text.

Regardless of our qualms, we’re still impressed with the Q1. It’s clearly the product of a huge amount of research and development, and Samsung has implemented Microsoft’s UMPC concept extremely well.

The Q1 will be available to buy in June with pre-orders being taken right now. When pushed, Samsung wouldn’t give an exact figure to the number of pre-orders already placed but said it was 'in the hundreds'.

No doubt it’s hoping this will show marked increase in the coming weeks.

We’re also soon to receive a UMPC based on a VIA processor, which we expect to be a fair bit cheaper – read the news story on VIA’s UMPC.

In summary, the Q1 represents the first in a new era of mobile PCs. It’s incredibly small, has all the functionality of a Windows PC and houses some interesting features.

We look forward to seeing future models from Samsung and other manufacturers.

But the question remains: does the average business or home user really want or need a UMPC? With Tablet PCs struggling to gain widespread acceptance, Microsoft and its partners certainly have their work cut out in persuading the market to take UMPCs to heart.